HELP, baby chicken won't stop distressed chirping!!!!

[Wyorp Rock]

The floor is wool carpet covered heavily by bamboo leaves - they haven't made it down to the carpet. The feed is chicken starter feed - I grind it up. I also feed them some seeds and oats ground up. Sometimes some spinach leaves or a slice of cucumber. I'm worried as I haven't seen Saturn poo. The others poop fine, they are solid, sometimes squooshy though. Saturn both snuggles and separates herself from the others. She doesn't seem to sleep as much as the others either. I'll go take a photo now.

Are you giving them grit as well. It is fine to let them have other things besides starter feed, but in order for them to process (digest) foods other than starter, they need grit. Saturn may have eaten too many seed/oats or even bedding and is now having trouble digesting. The white container(s) with the green bottom(s) are water and food I assume, you may want to raise those up out of the bedding, so it can be found easily.

This is Saturn. Her crop does look a little larger than the others crops.

She is adorable, I hope she feels better soon.

This is all three. Butter-Grumbles(little black Australorp) and Persnicketts (Gold laced Wyandotte)

All 3 are just cutie pies!

 

[Smoda]

Wyorp Rock - you have saved Saturn (and potentially Butter-Grumbles and Persnicketts too!)

I was under the impression the chicken feed I was giving them had grit in it. I double checked after you mentioned grit - sure enough it wasn't in the feed!

Straight to the pet shop and I bought some grit. I kid you not Saturn went wild on it, the other two just picked a little. Saturn then strained and did a sorry looking poo that got stuck to her. I gently pulled and it had some sort of hair/plastic strand that was making it tricky for her to pass. She then pooed 2 more times and was happily running and scratching about with the others.

She has stopped doing her distressed chirp and now she's just happy chatting and being much more friendly and curious,

https://gfycat.com/WhiteWastefulCockroach

Thank you so so much!

 

[ambe0487]

I agree that you might want to add some fine sand or poultry grit she might be having issues digesting the food other than chick starter. I'm glad that she enjoyed the stuffed animal I know my "needy one "really enjoyed having that there.

How was her evening? Did you notice her sleeping or was she still chirping?

 

[Smoda]

I added a comment earlier, but it hasn't yet been approved yet. So I'll double up - just in case it doesn't get approved until later.

(Bit of a lengthy reply).

After Wyorp Rock's comment on grit I double checked the chicken starter feed I had ( I was under the impression it had grit in it). It did not contain grit! I went straight to the pet store, bought some grit. Saturn went wild for the grit. The other two had a little bit, not much.
Then Saturn attempted to poo. It got stuck, so I gently pulled it out with paper towel. There was a bit of hair/plastic or something that had made it stuck. It came out OK and she even pooed by herself (normal poos) after this.

She is sleeping like a dream tonight. Cuddled up with the other chicks. No distressed chirps, just happy chatter.

Thanks everyone for your support. And thank you Wyorp Rock - your advice made me double check and find the problem!!

It's such a relief to see her happy and it warms my heart to see her eating, pooping and sleeping soundly!

 

[Lozuufy]

Yay! So glad she's doing better!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I added a comment earlier, but it hasn't yet been approved yet. So I'll double up - just in case it doesn't get approved until later.

(Bit of a lengthy reply).

After Wyorp Rock's comment on grit I double checked the chicken starter feed I had ( I was under the impression it had grit in it). It did not contain grit! I went straight to the pet store, bought some grit. Saturn went wild for the grit. The other two had a little bit, not much.
Then Saturn attempted to poo. It got stuck, so I gently pulled it out with paper towel. There was a bit of hair/plastic or something that had made it stuck. It came out OK and she even pooed by herself (normal poos) after this.

She is sleeping like a dream tonight. Cuddled up with the other chicks. No distressed chirps, just happy chatter.

Thanks everyone for your support. And thank you Wyorp Rock - your advice made me double check and find the problem!!

It's such a relief to see her happy and it warms my heart to see her eating, pooping and sleeping soundly!

I'm so glad to hear this. You did good!!!

I hope she continues to do well, post more pictures as she grows up, she is such a sweetie.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Unfortunately a lot of people believe that chick feed includes grit. If you look at the ingredient list you will not see grit. I saw that comment on here so often I e-mailed Purina and asked them. Nope, grit is not included. It’s not needed for processed chicken feed.

They make processed chicken feed by grinding all the ingredients together. That’s called Mash. To make pellets they wet that mash with water to form a paste, extrude it through a die and flash dry it. To make crumbles they partially crush pellets.

I personally put dirt from my run into the brooder on Day 2 or 3, and repeat every few days. That gets grit in their system, introduces probiotics from the adults, and gets them started on developing flock immunities. While they don’t need grit if all they eat is the processed chick feed, I really like having their systems set up to work the way it is supposed to from the start even if you have to buy chick grit and don’t get the other benefits.

I’m glad to hear that worked out. I doubt I’d have come up with grit as the solution.

 

[ambe0487]

I added a comment earlier, but it hasn't yet been approved yet. So I'll double up - just in case it doesn't get approved until later.

(Bit of a lengthy reply).

After Wyorp Rock's comment on grit I double checked the chicken starter feed I had ( I was under the impression it had grit in it). It did not contain grit! I went straight to the pet store, bought some grit. Saturn went wild for the grit. The other two had a little bit, not much.
Then Saturn attempted to poo. It got stuck, so I gently pulled it out with paper towel. There was a bit of hair/plastic or something that had made it stuck. It came out OK and she even pooed by herself (normal poos) after this.

She is sleeping like a dream tonight. Cuddled up with the other chicks. No distressed chirps, just happy chatter.

Thanks everyone for your support. And thank you Wyorp Rock - your advice made me double check and find the problem!!

It's such a relief to see her happy and it warms my heart to see her eating, pooping and sleeping soundly!

Awesome news! e. That is fantastic!

 

[Smoda]

*update* Saturn is doing great. Thinking Pullet as she is almost 10 weeks, squats and doesn't have red on her face. She is such a little greedy guzzler. She sits on my lap like a dog and watches me when ever I eat demanding food. And she lets out a disappointment whistle when ever the treats stop.

I love her.

 

[Lozuufy]

She's beautiful! That's great she is doing so well, lol looks like she loves eating that peach.